Just days after his lightning bolt haircut went viral, Cristiano Ronaldo is sporting yet another new do as Portugal put in final preparations ahead of their do-or-die match against Ghana on Thursday.

The 29 year-old has got rid of the cut that swept across the internet at the start of the week and, instead, has gone for an even more stream-lined look.

The earlier cut was thought to be a tribute to 10-month-old Erik Ortiz Cruz, who had £50,000 brain surgery paid for by Ronaldo.

With thousands of cameras capturing their every move for billions of fans, footballers know the World Cup isn’t just about sport – it’s about tattoos, hairstyles, clothes and the big business of setting trends.

They arrive at airports, training sessions, press conferences and matches with carefully crafted looks, conscious that a new hairdo or tattoo can set social media networks abuzz – and that global brands with multimillion-dollar sponsorship deals are watching.

Ronaldo, the Portuguese captain and reigning world player of the year, sparked a flurry of tweets when he emerged from the dressing room for Sunday’s match against the United States with what looked like a lightning bolt shaved into the side of his head.

For former Manchester United sar – whose endorsements account for some $28 million of his estimated $80 million yearly earnings – had already caused a sensation just before the tournament by posing nude with supermodel girlfriend Irina Shayk for Vogue’s Spanish edition.

Meanwhile, Paulo Bento intends to stay on as Portugal coach even if the team fails to qualify from its World Cup group, saying his tenure will be judged on results at the 2016 European Championship.

Portugal, the world’s No 4-ranked team, have just one point from their first two Group G games and are unlikely to reach the knockout stages even if they beat Ghana in Brasilia.

“In April there was an agreement with the association that wasn’t about the results at the World Cup but our objectives for 2016,” Bento said. “I’m not going to resign from my job as coach, it’s not my intention or the intention of the federation.”